Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

New OS. Upgrade or fresh install?

S

smilinmonki666

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 20, 2008
240
0
Here's a question, my first time I will be upgrading on my Mac as I only brought my first mac last year; would you say to re-install or just upgrade?

What the advantage of either, if any. The only advantage I would be seeing I suppose is a clean install. But then this is not a windows os so should not make any difference?

Am I correct in thinking this?
 
smilinmonki666 said:
Here's a question, my first time I will be upgrading on my Mac as I only brought my first mac last year; would you say to re-install or just upgrade?

What the advantage of either, if any. The only advantage I would be seeing I suppose is a clean install. But then this is not a windows os so should not make any difference?

Am I correct in thinking this?
Click to expand...

The upgrade from Tiger to Leopard was a complete disaster. I ended up clean-installing all of the Macs where I had tried an upgrade installation. Only after a clean install and several OS updates later, Leopard began working properly. The list of the problems that I experienced is very long and I've forgotten most of it. But I remember that upgrading to Leopard felt like installing an early Beta or even Alpha release from Microsoft and that it had been an experience after which I had begun to seriously doubt my decision to switch to Apple. (The update to Aperture 2 - which only became usable at 2.1.x - added to this.)

So when Snow Leopard hits the streets, I know that I will be clean-installing my computer again -- just as I will do it with the next Windows release.
 
Just upgrade. That's what it's for. Then, before anything else, run the 10.5.6 combo updater.

More than likely this will be the quickest and easiest way to upgrade.

Don't listen to the guy above, he's delirious.
 
Upgrade works 99% of the time. Unless you have a problem with the Mac currently, the other methods are disruptive and unnecessary. If by some small chance the upgrade doesn't work, the next step is the Archive and Install.

BTW, there is no such thing as a "fresh" (or "clean") install of OSX. These terms get thrown around all the time by the unknowing or by those who like to confuse the issue, but in reality neither of these are actual install options. The real options are Archive and Install and Erase and Install. I'm not just being pedantic -- the difference between these two methods is huge. Before you attempt either, you'd be well advised to have a good handle on what they do.
 
Clean install? This isn't windows: there are three options: erase and install, archive and install, and archive and install with automatic user migration.

Do you have a reason that erase & install is better, or are you OCD with hygiene obsession, and the word "clean" makes you feel good? The computer isn't your pet cat. You can't put it in the bath and scrub it clean. Either there's a problem with archive and install, or there isn't. If there is, what is it?

I have personally A&I'd four macs from 10.4 to 10.5 without problems. It's faster and more convenient for the user, because your apps remain installed (including those with license protection), and your preferences are preserved, your user and passwords are preserved, etc.

What exactly do you expect the archive and install to break that would be fixed by erase and install?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back